LOOP: Oral arguments heard on wedding cake artist

HOMELAND SECURITY The Senate confirmed Kirstjen Nielsen to lead Homeland Security, 62-37. A former DHS official, Nielsen is a cybersecurity expert. http://cvote.it/2nwPl54

ARGUMENTS AT SCOTUS Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy said during oral arguments that Colorado did not appear to be “tolerant” when they tried to force baker Jack Phillips to create a custom cake for a same-sex ‘wedding.’ “Tolerance is essential in a free society. And tolerance is most meaningful when it’s mutual,” Kennedy said. “It seems to me that the state in its position here has been neither tolerant nor respectful of Mr. Phillips’ religious beliefs.” http://cvote.it/2nxVttJ

JE SUIS JACK! Nicole Stacy explains why you simply cannot force an artist to perform what they don’t want to do. “Wedding music in particular represents a significant time investment – at least if you want to do it properly…. On the wedding day, one must be physically present and mentally hyper-present from start to finish, to celebrate and beautify and bless, to get it just right. No phoning it in, and no do-overs.” http://cvote.it/2nuUUke

QUOTE OF THE DAY #1 “At the Alliance Defending Freedom dinner [the attorneys who defended baker Jack Phillips], there’s a great Supreme Court cake. First bakery they went to refused to make it for the event. As is their right,” -Ilya Shapiro

QUOTE OF THE DAY #2 Pro-marriage scholar Ryan T. Anderson: “Wanna know what’s at stake? When Chief Justice Roberts asked this question, Colorado lawyer said ‘yes’: ‘So Catholic Legal Services would be put to the choice of either not providing any pro-bono legal services or providing those services in connection with the same-sex marriage?'”

ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT Whoa. A plot to assassinate British Prime Minister Theresa May by Islamist militants was broken up last week. http://cvote.it/2nx4lzB

NEXT BIG FIGHT? With the battle over taxes largely behind him, President Trump should make school choice his next big fight, writes Jonathan Tobin. http://cvote.it/2nv10RL

WILDFIRE AT THOMAS AQUINAS California wildfires reached the borders of the campus of Thomas Aquinas College, forcing an evacuation of the school. http://cvote.it/2nv3IXp

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY In our nation’s capital there’s an interactive Tomb of Christ exhibit at the National Geographic Museum that unifies cutting-edge science and technology with faith. http://cvote.it/2nwONMf

About Author

Joshua Mercer is a co-founder of CatholicVote.org, where he serves as Political Director. Mercer is also regular contributor with Catholic Pulse. Mercer previously served as Washington Correspondent for the National Catholic Register and Chairman for Students for Life of America. He lives in Michigan with his wife and six children.